"Mirror Check"

I’ve always found comfort in schedules. I like the predictability of one, and with predictability comes routine. Getting ready in the morning is one of those routine. Wash face. Moisturizer. Sunscreen. Makeup if I’m going out. Done.

A routine just makes sense. Lately though, I’ve been feeling like I’m losing control of other parts of my life as a freelancer with unstable income, with clients that come and go.

That’s where the planning for this project began. 

Mirror Check is an audio piece built around the familiar flow of a GRWM (Get Ready With Me), using recordings of my actual getting-ready routine. It will include recorded foley layered with guitar track in the background to hold the mood together.

Project Goals

• Create a 2-3 minute piece built around a GRWM routine

• Write and record a second-person monologue that reveals self-talk and identity struggles

• Use foley sounds from my actual skincare and outfit prep

  • Skicnare Routine, Water faucet, Fabrics, Makeup, Brush, akin to ASMR

• Record guitar instrumental  using my MVAVE Cubaby pedal to add emotional texture

  • Will be playing something similar to Child Psychology by Black Box Recorder

• Layer the monologue and foley with ambient guitar

  • Using M-VAVE MINI-UNIVERSE Digital Reverb Pedal for the ambient vibe

• Mix and balance all tracks in Audacity 

• Keep the final output around 2-3  minutes

Problems I may encounter

• One of the biggest hurdles I’m anticipating is recording the guitar track. I do play guitar, but I’ve never actually recorded a full track befor. I’ll be using my MVAVE Cube Baby pedal, which kind of acts like an Audio Interface already but figuring out how to make it sit well with the voice and foley might take time and trial-and-error. 

  • There’s a chance the guitar layer might be dropped or replaced with something simpler in the future if it doesn’t blend well or ends up being too technically challenging. But for now, I’m aiming to stick to my original plan as closely as I can.

• Recording foley also means I’ll need to be intentional with sound placement and levels. I’ll have to test which movements are audible enough (like fabric sounds, mirror wipes) and which ones get lost in the background. I might end up exaggerating some actions just to capture them better.

• My mic is decent but it's not tailor-made for Foley/ASMR type audio. I'll have to record at night in my cabinet, I expect to do a lot of cleanup and adjusting in post.

• Another minor issue is gear. My current earphones aren’t super reliable for mixing, so I'll have to be careful with that.

• Overall, I know this will take a lot of patience and discipline. Since the concept is personal, I want to make sure I give it the time and not rush it out.

Preparing for this one really tested my ability to make realistic and sound plan. It's easy to say that I want to make a song or I want to make an acapella, but this is not a simple project. The challenge with having the freedom to choose what you want is that, ironically, you become the limit.

I originally planned on composing a 5-minute soundpiece exploring distorted sounds and experimenting with voicemails. While most would try to fix distorted audio, I wanted to intetionally create them. I had all these crazy ideas in my mind, I could even imagine the sounds. But during the past two weeks that I spent experimenting in Audacity and exploring song-production courses proved to me that my original idea was not realistic and achievable for a month-long project. That's why I chose to do storytelling instead.

Just like in my final MMS 173 project, I chose something personal for this one, something that feels true to me. That way, once it’s finished, I’ll be proud to share it with others knowing it came from an honest place. When you create something that reflects who you are, it always resonates more. Staying true to yourself just works.

I'm excited to see how this one will play out.